I do HVAC work on a regular basis. I did HVAC in the Sahara Desert as well.

Don't use unapproved refrigerent like Freeze X, Arctic Chill, Chilly Willie, whatever. The correct charge is shown on the vehicle label, or from references available via NAPA Online.

If you put other than what is on the vehicle tag into your HVAC then if you ever require professional service you will have to pay a huge decontamination cost because the shop equipment will be ruined.

For old R-12 Packard systems R134 is not good because it requires higher pressures. It might work for awhile, but soon the compressor will quit and the plumbing will spring higher pressure leaks.

Disconnecting the battery is a fine test to confirm the problem. But the car should now have a disconnect switch as well. Some of those wires go through wood and there could be a carbon track somewhere.

For anything higher than .25 amps a test light connected in series will confirm a fire hazard. After that a multimeter with ranges will work. Mine has 15 amps, .250 amps, and .0025 amps.

After you have confirmed a drain, on the right side under the dash is the trunk line for the interior lights. Cut the wire and install a 2.5 amp fuseholder. Then proceed to disconnect stuff until the drain goes away.

Good luck and don't give up until you find this problem.

Dear Robin:

Before you take anything apart, get cylinder number one on TDC and dump Gumout into number 8. Fill it up. Cover the plug hole with a rag and crank the motor over with the coil grounded. Repeat for number 7.

Let it soak for an hour or two and then repeat using penetrating oil. Let is soak overnight.

Get under the fender and see if you can free the valves by turning them with pliers and gently prying up and down with a screwdriver.

It may be hard to start with all the stuff in the manifold, so be prepared with a squirt oil can and gasoline.

See if this works.

Dear Joe:

Given you recently got the car on the road I would look at the ground strap on the governor. It is a 10-32 round head screw that provides ground and the plating loves to corrode. Cleaning it with sandpaper and adding an anti-shake washer will eliminate that possibility.

It looks like a solid car. Given people are trying to use postwar Packards as transportation, what's wrong with a rock bottom cash offer? That thing could be turned into a second car. Don't look at me though because I'm planning on moving again. You have to have a permanent address for these cars and I don't hesitate to move six time zones in one shot.

The alcohol in gasoline issue may soon evaporate up as midwestern droughts are driving corn prices through the roof. Once food prices start to burn the CPI excess corn production will stop going up in smoke.

Dear Willis:

Let's start by getting some good data on your problem.

If the radiator overflow is not pouring on the ground then the motor is not boiling.

A good start is check the uniformity of the warm up. Does the back of the motor get hot much faster than the front?
If it does than you have a distribution problem.

Next, remove the front grille pan and check the efficiency of the radiator. Is the top warm and the bottom cooler, or is the bottom getting warm before the top? There should be a sensible temperature change from top to bottom.

Next, get a meat thermometer or whatever and check the coolant temperature. If it is not getting above 180F then you have a gauge problem given the cylinder head temperature is uniform to the touch.

Finally, get a cheap multimeter from WalMart, Radio Shack, the hardware store, whatever and test the temperature sender. It's at the back of the cylinder head. Disconnect the wire and test the resistance to ground with motor cold. It should have lots of Ohms. As the motor warms up the Ohms should decrease gradually. If they become zero before the motor is hot then the sender is bad.

That's a start and hope this helps.

There are museums that put prices on objects. They are called dealers. Some of them even call themselves museums/collections.

I can understand why static museums don't put prices on display - such is not available and verifiable. History buffs seem to be fanatics about accurate facts and figures as a refuge from today's lie driven culture where people lie about the time of day and dishonesty is the national currency. I mean really. Most people I deal with think that I'm a dummy who believes all of their lies because I keep my cool and don't bounce around like a ping pong ball. There isn't much an honest man can do because the law is written to protect liars. That's because most law is written by lawyers. You just can't put somebody into a hospital bed for a vicious lie.

The museums also have to think about things like insurance and robbery. Keep in mind too that when you start asking about what objects are worth, the employees start looking at you as a potential thief. So not showing appraisals keeps things nicer.

As for the antiques junkshow, most of that stuff is just plain crazy. When I was a kid I had a little desk that came from Turnquist's mother. One day I decided I wanted to learn how to refinish furniture. I'm sure the Antiques junkshow people would have been horrified. I only did the top.

There was an ad that featured red wheels on a Custom 8 convertible. It is not often found anywhere.

The red wheel became popular with the introduction of Imron and powder coating.

Personally, I like body color wheels, but I'm sure any dealer would paint wheels for a new car. Heck, they do that today.

There was one ad series that impressed me. It was the 1938 ads that offered to let prospects take Packard cars away for the weekend. Of course to get one you had to be in the social register, but letting a prospect take a car for an unlimited mileage test drive is putting your money where your mouth is.

And off the showroom floor the 16th series was good.

Although, that new V-16 from Cadillac just left everything in the dust. A giant that lasted three years.